Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero Reviews

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Atomix
Top Critic
90 / 100
Oct 7, 2024

It is a stroke of nostalgia for those who once enjoyed the releases of the past, and even more so for the users who have not let go of them in all this time. Seriously, it's so worth it to see the Z warriors fight once again.

Review in Spanish | Read full review

Gameblog
Top Critic
9 / 10
Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball Sparking Zero, eagerly awaited, was like a Kamehameha straight from our hands, the fruit of our exaltation, many sleepless nights to unlock the entire roster and the cumulative pleasure of playing, playing and playing some more. The title isn't perfect, and suffers from a few optimization issues that may be the result of certain choices made by the development team, but it's still great. Since Dragon Ball Fighter Z, we've lacked a title that could renew the license with such freshness, and this is a stunning return for the Budokai Tenkaichi saga !

Review in French | Read full review

GamePro
Top Critic
67 / 100
Oct 7, 2024

Extremely extensive fan service, but ultimately disappointing fights.

Review in German | Read full review

65 / 100
Dec 15, 2024

Caught in a struggle between being a definitive casual game while also being a hardcore competitive experience, Sparking! Zero makes the best of its numerous limitations. The core game is fun enough, it looks great, and it contains an impressive collection of Dragon Ball fan service. Sparking! Zero pushes limits in all of the ways a Dragon Ball game should. Unfortunately, various limitations push back just as much, resulting in a game that still has plenty of training to do in order to reach its full potential.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is the ultimate Dragon Ball sandbox, giving you all the tools needed to satisfy your wild imagination. Filled with iconic fights, flashy animations, and delightful easter eggs, it's arguably the final form of Dragon Ball arena fighters.

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70%
Oct 7, 2024

A sensational-looking game that looks just like the anime, Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO marks a robust return for the dormant Budokai Tenkaichi series, even if the nuts and bolts of the game's fighting mechanics can wear quite thin pretty quickly.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO isn't perfect, with Episode Battle falling somewhat short in its ambitions, but it's an excellent recreation of the series' power fantasy.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 14, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero from developer Spike Chunsoft and publisher Bandai Namco is a wonderful fighting experience. It has all the bells and whistles, including a massive number of characters from the series and different ways you can customize and shape them. The imbalanced fighting might be tough for some players to overcome to enjoy the experience.

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7.5 / 10.0
Oct 10, 2024

Dragon Ball Sparking! ZERO has a metric ton of content and some well crafted fanservice. Do not expect a complex gameplay and try to forget about a problematic camera, and you should spend dozens of hours playing a really fun and flashy game.

Review in Polish | Read full review

CGMagazine
Top Critic
8.5 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is a near-perfect representation of the legendary Shounen series, which comes with its own set of pros and cons but ultimately is a must-play for fans.

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Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero evolves the Budokai Tenkaichi series into the modern era of gaming: Faster-paced fights, and more dynamic than it has ever felt before.

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8 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero captures the fighting experience of the franchise better than the previous fighting games. The graphics are amazing and hold up to the intense movements. Several opportunities to play online and offline mean there's always something to do and an opponent to test your mettle against. There are some combat kinks to work out and some features only appeal to the hardcore fanbase. But for anyone who has an interest in Dragon Ball, this is a game you must have.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2024

Picking right up where it left off with Budokai Tenkaichi 3, Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is a return to form and a celebration of everything Dragon Ball. Reinvigorated with characters and transformations from Dragon Ball Super as well as your favourites from Dragon Ball Z, the game feels both brand new and classic as it brings fast-paced action and eye-popping graphics into the new generation. While some players may be frustrated or overwhelmed with the learning curve of the controls, the rewards lie in mastering your favourite characters, and crafting an experience that blends your imagination and classic Dragon Ball.

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5 / 5.0
Oct 8, 2024

While yes, this is just another Dragon Ball game, it stands in line with the best of the best in style, presentation, graphics, sound design, gameplay, and content. It is surprising how polished DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO actually is. Besides the sheer amount of things to do from the long story mode, bonus battles, and achievements you can strive for, the sophistication with the combat is fun to master and the actual gameplay feels buttery smooth thanks to new and improved systems. Even though a lot of the 181 characters are a bunch of different versions of the same character, there's plenty of variety in the selection right from the start. DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO is the perfect welcoming back into the franchise. Thanks Shenron! My wish has been granted!

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8.6 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero , when compared to all the other 3D arena fighting games based on anime (for example Naruto Ninja Storm ), is several steps above all the rest , not only because it manages to emulate the Dragon Ball fights almost perfectly, but above all because it is so much fun that it never gets boring.

Review in Italian | Read full review

8 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2024

As Dragon Ball games go, Sparking! Zero stands as one of the better translations of what it feels like to be a super powered hero, Goku or otherwise. It's not for everyone, but with a great set of modes and roster of characters, fans should find plenty to enjoy.

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GBAtemp
Top Critic
7.8 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero marks a triumphant return of the Sparking!/Budokai Tenkaichi series with an expansive roster and immersive anime-like presentation that will delight fans of the series.

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9.5 / 10.0
Oct 7, 2024

Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is not only a return to the wonderful days of playing Budokai Tenkaichi 3 - it is a sequel that brilliantly develops its predecessor.

Review in Polish | Read full review

8.5 / 10.0
Nov 4, 2024

DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO feels like a faithful continuation of the series. Beautiful visuals and epic combat make for a great combination and the creative What If scenarios were a treat to explore. A definite recommendation for fans. The AI cheats, though.

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8.5 / 10.0
Oct 8, 2024

Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero is in an easy running for the best Dragon Ball game ever made. The surprisingly in-depth gameplay is combined with a love for the franchise that seems to radiate from every aspect of the game. The combat might end up being a little frustrating for someone who just wants to bash together their favorite characters, but once you've learned how to play, it feels absolutely fantastic, and it's a genuine labor of love that fans will adore.

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